Help with setting an OBI in the U.A.E

[mgalego]

Gentlemen

Forgive me for addressing to you this way but I am not familiar with the forum procedures, this or any for that matter. I very rarely participate on forums, I usually only read the posts when I'm looking for information.

I am using this way to request for help regarding OBI 202 settings which I find more difficult than I though before buying it. My voip knowledge is below basic so ...

I recently moved to the U.A.E. where the internet is censured, especially everything with the "voip" word in it. I am not sure it is affecting the configuration process.

The project is to have an OBI 202 configured with:

- Google Voice for receiving calls - working fine at the moment.
- Powervoip (Betamax - Powervoip.com) to makes call to mobile phones. At the moment not able to work.
- Freevoipdeal (Betamax - Freevoipdeal.com) to makes call to landline phones. At the moment not able to work.
- Callcentric number - tried to configure it using the OBI internal setting and the setting provided by  Callcentric support page with no success.

The OBI202 is connected via OBIWifi to a D-Link DSL-2750U router provided by the local ISP (Etisalat). I just bought, arriving by the end of the month a new router, an Asus RT-AC66U, hoping that will help me, somehow ...

Contacted OBI support but after a couple of email exchanges they must have thought that I knowledge was so bad that they gave up on me. :-) - understandable !

They mentioned SIP ALG in my router. I checked everywhere especially under WAN and FIREWALL and also under NAT with no success. Because of that I followed the FAQ instructions when there are no SIP ALG option on the routers which also did not change anything.

For last, I have an account with EXPRESSVPN which I haven't been able to use on my router, yet.

Would you be able to help or direct me to the first steps to follow, please?

Thanks in advance.

[drgeoff]

Is your OBi managing to SIP register with any of the non-GV providers you mention?

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telecommunications_in_the_United_Arab_Emirates

"TRA instructs Etisalat and du to block parts of Wikipedia, all VoIP services such as Skype and SIP based services and some social networking services like hi5, Friendster, and all dating sites like Yahoo! Personals and Match.com."

[mgalego]

Yes it is.

Thanks for your reply!

[mgalego]

Skype is now open and Hangouts and Google voice too. At least mine is.

[OzarkEdge]

There is a lot of ground to cover.  My notes may cover some of it, or at least get you thinking.

I have an ASUS router... good choice.  Look for a 'SIP Passthrough' setting under WAN and disable that.  Not the main issue at the moment but may avoid one-way audio later.

OE

[mgalego]

Thanks OE. Every little helps. I agree and to me it seems like a lot more than I can chew!

[drgeoff]

So what exactly happens when you try to make or receive a call?  "not working" is not very informative. 

[mgalego]

I can't find any SIP related option in the router.

I would send the pictures but don't know how. Tried Ctrl+V but nothing.

[drgeoff]

To attach a picture, click the 'Additional Options' under the box you type your post in.

[mgalego]

The best I made was "Trying to register" showing an IP address and the port. At the beginning was showing port 508. Took me a while to change it to 506 but even after that it kept "Trying ..." and no register ever showed up.
Keeps trying after some few seconds but no success.

Thanks for the picture hint.
So this is what I have under WAN on my router:

[drgeoff]

The best I made was "Trying to register" showing an IP address and the port. At the beginning was showing port 508. Took me a while to change it to 506 but even after that it kept "Trying ..." and no register ever showed up.
Keeps trying after some few seconds but no success.

That not what you wrote earlier.  You wrote "Yes it is" when I asked if it was managing to register?  "managing" means "succeeding" not "attempting".

Assume you meant 5080 and 5060 rather than 508 and 506.

[mgalego]

Sorry, I thought I understood you meant. As I said my knowledge is below basic. Forgive me!

[mgalego]

Yes that is correct!

[drgeoff]

Try putting your Obi in the router's DMZ.  Instructions on page 79 of the manual http://ftp.dlink.ru/pub/ADSL/DSL-2750U/Description/DSL-2750U_User%20Manual_EN.pdf.

If that works it is not necessarily a final solution, hopefully just a troubleshooting step.

[mgalego]

Ok, done. Would you please have a look at the file attached?

[mgalego]

I can't see where it is getting the port 5080 ??

[mgalego]

And this is the Service Status page (attached). Thanks again.

[drgeoff]

From a PC can you successfully ping 77.72.174.128?

[mgalego]

Yes, it responds.

[drgeoff]

1. How are you configuring the Voice Services? Portal basic,  portal expert or directly on the device?

2. Do you have valid accounts with the Voice SPs you are configuring?

3. Usually the 'password' that you need to enter for SP registration is not the same as the password you use to log into your account on the provider's web site.